On May 11, 1987, Chef Gary Alinder prepared a Gourmet Vegetarian
Dinner at St. Bede’s Church in Menlo Park. That quiet beginning launched
a reliable, weekly Dinner event which has provided healthy and delicious
food for an amazing 16 years now. But there is much more to the Dinners
than just food—each Dinner is a synergistic event run largely by the efforts
of caring volunteers. And they are the foundation for the Peninsula
Macrobiotic Community, which has evolved into a vibrant community
of friends and a resource for health education hosting many distinguished
speakers. Join us in celebrating our Sixteenth Anniversary on
May 12!

Milt Jones, our friendly and accommodating liaison with the First
Baptist Church, passed away suddenly in February. It was a pleasure for
all of us to work with Milt.

Monthly Vegan Potlucks! Sunday, Apr 27, 6:30 PM at the home
of Robert Rohrbacher in Mountain View, call 650 938-0882 to RSVP and get
directions. Also, Sunday May 18 at the home of Chuck Olson in Santa Clara,
call 408 296-6944. To host, call Harold Stephenson at 650 856-1125.

The 34th Annual French Meadows Summer Camp, sponsored by the George
Ohsawa Macrobiotic Foundation, takes place July 19-27 in the Tahoe
National Forest. For info on one of the premiere macrobiotic events and
best vacations anywhere, visit www.gomf.macrobiotic.net, pick up a brochure
at Dinner, or call 800 232-2372.

Gary Alinder Cooking Classes

You Asked for It! Cooking Classes with Chef Gary Alinder!
Saturday, April 5 and Saturday, April 12, 10:30 AM-1 PM, in the kitchen
at The First Baptist Church, 305 North California Ave, Palo Alto. April
5: Soups, Soups & More Soups! Four of your favorite soups, plus
salad and bread for a complete lunch. Bonus: learn to make great salad
dressings! April 12: Favorite Entrees: Neat Loaf with Onion Gravy,
Roasted Veggie Tofu Frittata, Hungarian Noodles And Cabbage, and more!
To register, email Gary at AlinderSF@aol.com, call him at 415-552-5449,
or see him at the Monday Dinner. Class fee: $40 for one class, $75 for
two (sliding scale for people on fixed incomes). Here's a
Flyer with more information.

Cooking and Dinners

James Holloway, frequent Guest Chef at the Monday Dinners, does
personal home cooking in Palo Alto, in macrobiotic and classical styles,
call 650 852-9182.

Carolyn Peters offers private cooking and catering in San Francisco.
She is experienced in macrobiotic, vegetarian, and conventional styles.
Call 415 552-5879, carolyn_peters@yahoo.com.

After-Dinner Events

Speakers receive a gratuity from the audi­ence; please show your support
and apprecia­tion with a donation ($5 suggested).

In addition to providing a superb Gourmet Vegetarian meal, the Monday
Dinners are a great place to meet people; many friendships have begun
and flourished. Of course it's natural to want to renew our friendships
each Dinner, so many tend to congregate with those they know best, often
resulting in sitting in the same group each time. Ironically, we may
know little about others, including some very interesting and talented
people, who attend the same Dinner but are outside our group. Also, with
most of us leaving promptly after dinner to get back to our busy lives,
interactions are often limited to the time that we dine. Finally, these
are very challenging times for many of us—economically, psychologically,
and otherwise. This is not a time for isolation.

To encourage connections and networking, Newsletter Editor Gerard
Lum will host Building Connections Within The Peninsula Macrobiotic
Community on April 21. Each participant will introduce him/herself
and share something—like a reason for coming to the Dinners, an interest
in macrobiotics or other approaches to health, a service offered, or a
personal concern—thereby connecting with others and evolving the Monday
Dinners into a community of networked friends. We will support any who
fear speaking in public, so that we all share, connect, and have fun.
Gerard, Editor since 1990, will host and get things rolling; no charge
for this event.

On May 5, Mitchell Corwin, D.C. speaks on Our Health, How Much
Is Inherited? Mitchell will discuss the new homeopathic based theories
on acquired weaknesses we inherit from our ancestors. The discussion
will include topics of miasms, bone infections as complication from teeth,
and thin walled diseases of the digestive system. He will also review
the role of nutrition vs. immuno-therapy in addressing the multitude of
digestive system disorders and the many opportunistic infections from
candida to leaky-gut syndrome. There will be time left for discussion
and evaluation of everyone who attends.

Mitchell Corwin is a chiropractor who has practiced in Berkeley for the
last 20 years. His clinical expertise is in systemic and neurological
disorders, with emphasis on learning disabilities and scoliosis.

Recipe

Secrets Of The Master Chefs: Master Recipe For Creating Your Own Soups

Monday Diners have come to expect the artistic, expressive, and deeply
satisfying soups that start off our weekly feast. It took pleading, cajoling,
and flattery to extract the following deep secrets from our Master Chef.
Produces six generous servings.

The liquid part: 8 c. water or stock

For thickening, fiber, protein, heartiness:1-1/2 c. grains or
pasta or beans, or a combination.

4. Add the paprika, mirin and the umeboshi vinegar, salt and pepper to
taste. Lower heat and continue sautéing until cabbage becomes tender
and sweet (10-15 minutes). Watch carefully and add a little water if
it threatens to become dry.

5. Turn up heat a bit and add the pasta. Stir together until cabbage
and pasta are combined and pasta is reheated. Add a little olive oil
and an additional splash of umeboshi vineager if it needs a flavor boost.
Serve.